Insurance

Class-Action Lawsuit Filed Against Blue Shield

June 13, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p> <a href="http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/consumer&id=8700571">Click here to view the video of this broadcast</a>.</p> <p> <span class="storyDateline">SANTA MONICA, CA (KABC) -- </span> A class-action lawsuit has been filed against Blue Shield over the shutdown of health insurance plans. Customers who are dropped can sign up for a different Blue Shield plan, but it's not as good.</p>

California Health Insurers Propose Raising Rates for Small Firms

June 12, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p> <b>Proposed increases of more than 10% in small-business health insurance rates that are going into effect in July or August have drawn scrutiny from state regulators.</b></p>

Blue Shield Sued Over Policy Switches

June 12, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p><span id="articlebody">San Francisco, CA -- When Blue Shield of California raised the rates for Robert Jeffrey Martin's family insurance policy by 23 percent, the health insurer offered him two options: Stay in his expensive old plan or switch to a new policy that offered his family skimpier benefits with a higher deductible.</span></p> <p><span id="articlebody">Martin, 59, knew finding a new insurer would be tough and felt like he had no choice. The Gilroy farmer, who grows olives trees and bottles his own olive oil, switched to the new policy. </span></p>

Consumer Group in Calif. Says Rate Hikes Show Need for Rate Reviews

June 12, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p> The California insurance commissioners should be able to regulate health insurers’ rate increases, including the up to 24% hike insurers plan for small businesses in July and August, according to a consumer advocacy group.<br /> <br />

A Victory For Sunlight And Accountability At The Energy Commission

June 11, 2012  ·  Jamie Court

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Insurers Owe Rebates To Many Californians

June 2, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p> Anthem Blue Cross owes some California policyholders nearly $40 million in rebates and nonprofit rival Blue Shield of California owes about $11 million under a requirement of the federal healthcare law.<br /> <br /> Nationwide, insurers had to notify federal and state officials by Friday of how much they owe customers if the companies failed to spend a minimum amount of customers' premiums on medical care last year. Insurers must pay these rebates by Aug. 1.<br /> <br />

Tama Greenberg – San Francisco, CA

June 1, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p> <img class=" size-full wp-image-2439" alt="" class="right" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/images_tama_for_web.jpg" style="width: 144px; height: 144px;" width="144" height="144" />I’ve been self-employed for 20 years, but went back to school about five years ago and switched from marketing to interior design. I also sell my own art. The recession clobbered me just as I was getting started. If I hadn’t been frugal when times were better and saved a pretty good nest egg, I wouldn’t be able to pay for my health insurance now.</p>

Health Insurance: Rebates Are a Drop In the Bucket, but Justifying Rates Means Real Savings

May 31, 2012  ·  Judy Dugan

<p> <img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2206" alt="" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/images_judydrawingname.gif" style="margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: right; width: 133px; height: 200px; " width="133" height="200" />Thursday's <a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-health-rebates-20120531,0,1280810.story">reports</a> that some Californians will get rebates on their health insurance premiums are a little bit of good news--but not nearly as good as it could be.<br /> <br />

Financial Planning Before The Wedding

May 27, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p class="story-byline"> As part of his full-service approach to wedding planning, Sanford Marshall says he refers clients to florists, photographers and financial planners.<br /> <br /> Planning a wedding "is the first telltale sign of how the couple views money and the first scenario for there to be conflict," says Marshall, owner of the Wedding Coach in San Francisco.<br /> <br />

HMO Profits Remain Small As Health Costs Soar

May 25, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p> <strong>Frequent Rate Hikes Help Revenue Keep Up With Increasing Expenses</strong><br /> <br /> Though health care costs continue to rise, profits at the seven big health plans that serve the Sacramento region remain slim, new state figures show.<br /> <br /> The companies together reported almost $86 billion in revenue from nearly 17 million Californians in 2011. But profit totaled just $3.2 billion.<br /> <br />

Blue Shield of Calif. CEO to Retire by 2013

May 24, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p> <strong>Bruce Bodaken, the longtime head of the nonprofit, supported universal healthcare</strong><br /> <br /> Blue Shield of California's longtime chairman and chief executive, Bruce Bodaken, will retire at year's end, punctuating a career marked by praise for his early support of universal health coverage and criticism of his company's repeated rate hikes.<br /> <br />

Bye-Bye, Bruce–Consumers Glad to See You Go

May 23, 2012  ·  Judy Dugan

<p> <img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2206" alt="" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/images_judydrawingname.gif" style="margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: right; width: 133px; height: 200px; " width="133" height="200" />Wow. People really don't like insurance companies or their overpaid CEOs.</p>